After much debate and controversy, the Church of England has decided to allow women to become bishops in the next two years. But traditionalists who opposed the landmark decision say it will lead to many people leaving the church. <br/><br/>After the church's assembly passed the draft legislation, dioceses will now consider the draft, which would let individual bishops allow alternative oversight for traditionalists within each diocese. <br/><br/>Church of England spokesman Lou Henderson said, the decision to consecrate women as bishops has been taken. Everybody recognised the importance of offering safeguards and assurances to those who find it very difficult to accept women bishops, but in the end Synod as a whole was not prepared to go as far as the traditionalists would have liked. <br/> <br/>The decision marks a milestone for the governing General Synod, which has been debating the issue for years. Traditionalist Anglicans opposed the move and sought to impose restrictions on the authority of female bishops, but they were defeated narrowly at the meeting at York University.